Once Your Eyes Close
by Lyrian Chase
Summary: "I wonder if you will become attached to me someday-" Natsume once said such words to his constant companion. When their long-ago promise is finally fulfilled, Madara realizes that those words have become truth. If Natsume could somehow be revived, what would he do? The ayakashi has always desired the Book of Friends, but could he have come to value Natsume enough to give it up?
1. 1: The Demon & the Book of Friends

_1: The Demon __**and**__ the Book of Friends_

He had been sitting vigil beside him for three days and nights when the man finally opened his eyes. he turned his face, those golden orbs the same captivating color as always behind graying bangs. "What, you're still here? I thought you would have taken the Book of Friends and run off by now."

He growled softly. _"I swore I would watch over you until the end, Natsume."_

"The end… huh." He chucked, but it turned into a cough that wracked the painfully thin frame. "And? Have you been sufficiently entertained by keeping me company, Sensei?"

The enormous ayakashi laid his head on his paws, letting out a breath that rustled Natsume's hair. _"Natsume, I know little of humans, even now. Are you dying?"_

"Yes, I'm dying." The man closed his eyes and leaned back against his pillows with a small smile on his face. "That's why I haven't called the others recently. They would make such a fuss, you know?"

Madara knew. The yokai of the West Fields, as well those freed from the Book of Friends or still tied to it, and the many spirits that the foolishly good-natured Natsume had helped would tear the world apart for him, and the gifted man was fully aware of that. No human had ever had such a following of demons and apparition as Takahashi Natsume.

He had been a sight to see in his youth, astride Madara's powerful back with a hundred demons in tow, the Book of Friends in hand. Even Matoba had come to respect the young man's power. But those days had passed, and Natsume was fading. His face, always pale, was now akin to parchment, dry and rough. His features were sharper, his hands weak. He had not returned a name for many years now. Even if he wished to, he no longer had the strength to do so. Tens upon hundreds of possessions and curses throughout his life had slowly built up and taken their toll, and now he could not even get up from his mat without aid.

"I'm not an old man yet, but I've lived much longer than I had any right to expect," Natsume murmured, breaking the silence and his companion's musings. His hand slid between the covers and emerged with a green book, long and thinner that when they first met, but still containing many powerful names. "A promise is a promise, Sensei. This is yours."

_"__Natsume!" _ The ayakashi's rumbling exclamation shook the small house.

The man laughed, a sound that was far weaker than ever before in his closed throat. "Hey, Sensei, it was fun. Don't cause too much trouble." And the hand fell, landing softly on the covers with a sound that was like the collapsing of mountains in Madara's sensitive ears.

_"__Natsume- Natsume!"_

He was gone. That foolish, gentle Natsume was gone forever. Madara lifted his great head and let out a furious roar that rang across the valley. Everywhere, yokai froze fearfully, wondering what great beast was in such a rage. The white ayakashi touched his nose to Natsume's forehead, and caught the scent of death along with that which he knew so well.

Shifting into a more human form, Madara knelt beside the man's body. Clawed fingers touched the papery skin, and his brow creased. What was this feeling? Abandonment… perhaps. He had been with Natsume for almost thirty years, far longer than he had spent with any companion before, ayakashi or human.

_I wonder if you'll become attached to me someday._

He bowed his head, white hair falling around his face like a veil. But then his gaze turned to the Book of Friends, the object he had always desired to possess. He took it into his hands, feeling its substance, the power that pervaded it. And yet, all he could see within his thoughts was the determined gaze of those golden eyes when Natsume bit down on a name, and the peaceful expression on the boy's face when it was returned.

Madara flipped through the book carelessly, just as he had often scolded Natsume for doing, and paused at a particular name. His heart stuttered, a reaction he had not known ayakashi could have. _I never knew that Reiko had met this one._ If, perhaps, this name was what he thought… he looked to Natsume, laying as though asleep.

_Hey, Natsume, can I really have the Book of Friends when you're gone?_

_Yeah._

He closed the book with a _snap,_ putting it into the pouch that Natsume always carried it in and slinging it over his shoulder. Then he gathered the body of his foolish companion into his powerful arm and exploded from the window with a growl.

He soared over the valley, occasionally touching down briefly on roofs or treetops, but continuing towards the mountain in the distance. It would seem that some of the man's foolishness had rubbed off over the years, but that thought did not displease him as it once might have. When Madara touched down in the clearing, he yelled, "_Shitai no Senken! Where are you?"_

The spirit slid from the shadows, a hunched old man with a flat plane in place of eyes or eye sockets. "Madara?" it croaked. "What could possibly bring you here?"

"I need you to recall a soul."

"Madara, I can only do such things with a very strong summons."

The white-haired ayakashi carefully lay Natsume's body at the Corpse-Seer's feet. "Will this do?"

Shitai bent over the man's form and stroked his protruding chin. "Indeed, however, I must ask…" he looked towards the larger demon with a scraggle-toothed grin, "Why do you wish to reincarnate this human? Why should I do this for you?"

"Because," Madara growled, "I will kill you if you do not." The Book of Friends, which he had withdrawn from its bag, was open to the name of _Shitai no Senken._ With a flick of his clawed hand, he could tear both the name and its owner to shreds.

The Corpse-Seer gave a dry-throated cackle. "I see. Well, my payment is quite sufficient, then. This odd request is worth seeing you so desperate, Madara."

_Desperate?_ The cat-eyed ayakashi blinked in surprise, but then shook himself. Yes, he supposed that he was fairly desperate.

The wrinkled demon reached into Natsume's body, his hand become transparent as he did so, and, after several moments of rummaging, withdrew an orb of softly shimmering energy the same golden color as the man's eyes. "I can't control where he will be born," Shitai warned.

Madara only growled.

With another cackle, the Corpse-Seer released the soul, and it flew into the sky, vanishing from sight. Natsume's body shimmered like a mirage in the desert, and then faded. "Thank you for your business, Madara. Do come again." And with that the bent-over yokai shuffled back into his shadows and vanished.

Madara closed the book with a snort. "Hardly." And then he looked off into the distance with a small frown. Where had the soul landed? But then a small smile touched his lips and he chuckled. His form rippled, shifting into that of the great beast most knew him as.

It didn't matter where the soul had gone. Natsume had returned to this world, and Madara would find him. Nothing else mattered except for that.


	2. 2: The Boy's Hello-Goodbye

_2: The Boy's __**He**__llo-Goodbye_

_"__Why do I have to take him?"_ the woman grumbled as they walked up the walkway to her house. Her hand around his was not warm, practically dragging him in the door. "Take off your shoes."

The child obeyed, putting the scuffed sneakers neatly where they belonged and hanging his jacket on a hook. He then stood, head bowed, waiting for instructions.

The woman sighed and tossed her bleach-blonde hair. "Go in there," she pointed, "and be quiet for a while. I have to figure out where we'll put you."

The boy nodded and wandered into the next room. He sat on the faded green carpet and leaned his head against the wall with a sigh of his own. _"A child. A human child."_ He glanced sideways at the amorphous shapes wiggling at the edge of the room, golden eyes peering out from behind uncombed bangs. _"He's looking this way! Can he see us? What fun!"_

"Be quiet."

_"__He spoke to us! He sees us! He hears us!" _The little yokai danced excitedly.

The boy shook his head. _I guess I won't be here very long, either,_ he noted with a resigned attitude atypical of the average five-year-old.

_"__He looks the age. Yes, yes, golden eyes! It's Natsume! Natsume!"_

"Natsume? Hey, what are you- and they're gone." Another sigh, and then he looked up into the disapproving stare of his newest guardian.

"Who were you talking to?"

"I was telling myself a story to pass the time," he lied, ducking his head to hide the flush that rose to his cheeks. As much as he hated causing trouble for others, he wasn't very good at lying. The woman snorted and beckoned him to follow. She led him upstairs to a small attic room that had been made up with a bed on the floor and a dresser.

"You'll sleep here for now."

"Thank you." He had been through this before: 'for now' meant, 'until we get rid of you.' He didn't really mind. He would rather move on quickly than try to get along with people like this. But the spirits of this house were interesting. He didn't like youkai very much, but they seemed to know him. Or at least, someone who looked like him. The boy wondered idly if it could be a relative, someone who could see ayakashi, just like him.

But he gave up that train of thought quickly. Orphaned early, he didn't waste much time thinking of people whose voices and faces he couldn't recall.

He was sleeping soundly when the cool breeze brushed across his face. The boy opened his eyes to see a pale figure lounging on his windowsill, one leg inside, one leg out. "Hey, brat." Eyes with slit pupils like a cat's stared out of a finely featured face, accented with red markings. The wind blew long, white hair out into the night.

The boy sat up slowly, strangely unafraid. "Who are you?"

The demon laughed. "Well, you can call me whatever you like for now." His eyes glinted as he gave a fang-toothed grin. "I've come to get you, Natsume."

"Natsu… me…" It wasn't his name, but it sounded pleasant when he heard it.

The demon licked his lips. "Aren't you bored, here with a bunch of ignorant humans? Unlike before, there are no distant relatives who will be kind enough to take you in. Come with me." He held out a clawed hand to the child, who stared, wide-eyed. "There are others waiting for you."

"For me?" Who could possibly be waiting for him? He was an abandoned child, a freak unwanted by anyone. The boy hugged his knees against his chest and fought the tears. Watching him, Madara hopped over to the makeshift bed, wrapping an arm around the child, bringing the small, fragile body into the shelter of his loose white kimono.

"For you. Hinoe, Misuzu and Tsubame, even Chobi and those idiot land spirits are waiting for you. You don't know them, but… they know you. Everyone wants to see you."

_People are waiting for me._ It was such a sweet thought, but he was afraid to believe it.

_"__Natsume,"_ Madara knelt behind the child and wrapped his arms around the small human, resting his forehead against that soft hair. _"There's nothing holding you here. Come with me."_

After several minutes that tried the patience of one who had lived centuries, the boy nodded. The ayakashi felt a surge of satisfaction, and no small amount of relief as he set the child on his shoulders and changed forms. This time, Natsume would not have to deal with the pain and struggles of a human born with the ability to see spirits. He would be raised with care, hidden from those who would hurt him. This time would be different from before. He had spoken with the others, and they had come to this decision during the past five years.

Often before they had offered to bring Natsume away from the human world, but there had always been something holding him back. Now there was nothing, and all of Natsume's friends and familiars would be glad to take him away from the world of foolish, ignorant mortals for good this time.

The child fell asleep on his back, small hands curled in the soft fur. Madara gave a deep-throated chuckle. Things would finally become interesting again.

Hinoe and Misuzu were waiting when he landed, and the dark-haired demon slid Natsume carefully from Madara's back. "He's so tiny," she murmured.

A small bird, a swallow, fluttered down from the sky and landed on a nearby tree, its form shimmering to be replaced with a young paper-mask ayakashi with light brown hair and a pleasant smile. "That's the little Natsume?" She giggled. "He's sweet."

Madara shifted to his human form, shaking himself slightly to settle the shape. "Is the house finished?"

**"****The land spirits are almost finished,"** Misuzu rumbled. The large bull-spirit shook his head, ringing his great bells. **"For Sir Natsume to be safe from both humans and malignant ayakashi, many barriers have been raised."**

"Good." Madara took the sleeping child into his arms, to Hinoe's displeasure. "Don't make that face, old woman. You'll see him plenty. But I'm putting Tsubame in charge of him until he's older. Your personality will ruin him."

_"__Hmph._ You've got quite the twisted personality there, Madara." Hinoe tossed her curls and lit one of her signature cigarettes. "Though I suppose I can let you have your way for a few years."

**"****Likewise,"** Misuzu observed, **"I will keep my distance from Sir Natsume until he has matured. But I will be guarding him carefully, nevertheless."**

"I wouldn't mind _you,_ Misuzu," Madara shrugged, "If you could swallow enough of your pride to take human form every now and then."

**"… ****I shall consider it."**

The white ayakashi chuckled. "Tsubame."

"Yes!" The slender spirit hopped down from her perch and fell in behind Madara.

"Let's take him home."


	3. 3: Raised by Spirits

_3: Raised __**by**__ Spirits_

"Natsume. Natsume, stay in the yard!" Tsubame ran after the energetic child worriedly, stopping and giving a small smile and a sigh when she saw him hanging off of Madara's arm. The white ayakashi sported a disgruntled expression.

_"__Sensei!"_ The seven-year-old laughed, "You're back!"

Surprise flickered across his guardian's face. "Sensei?"

Natsume grinned. "Tsubame said that's what you call someone who teaches you. You teach me lots of things, so you're Sensei."

_"__Hmm."_ Madara ruffled the child's soft brown hair with something like satisfaction flickering within him. "Alright then. I did say you could call me as you like." Natsume laughed, and the ayakashi felt a faint tightness in his chest.

Just as they had imagined, Natsume quickly forgot the humans he had lived with and the pain they had brought him, as a child was wont to do. In the small but sturdy house hidden deep in the mountains, he was being raised with the utmost care.

"Natsume!" The little Kitsune ran out of the trees and tackled the child, who rolled on the ground happily with his friend. "You're my size now!" he exclaimed happily once they lay panting, side by side.

"Mm-hmm. But I'm still growing. Tsubame said I'll be tall."

_"__Uh-huh!"_

Natsume's shimmering eyes reflected the passing clouds as he looked up at the sky. At that time, Madara was struck by how much like a young spirit the boy looked. Those light eyes, with a slightly irregularly-shaped pupil, along with his pale skin and light hair, had always given him an ethereal feel, and he had been able to easily blend in with yokai when he tried. How many times would this boy surprise him? Madara wondered with a chuckle.

Natsume sat up, frowning as he gazed off into the trees. The Kitsune, still sprawled on the grass, tugged his arm. "What is it, Natsume?"

"Nothing… I just had a bad feeling."

Madara immediately tensed, growling to the hidden demons around the glade: _"Search the area. Tsubame, take Natsume inside."_

"Yes." The gentle spirit corralled the children and ushered them towards the house.

"Wha- Sensei? Tsubame?"

"This way, Natsume."

Madara shifted into his beast form, taking to the sky, where he met with Misuzu. **"Madara. Why the sudden panic? The barriers haven't been breached."**

"_When Natsume says he senses something, are you fool enough to ignore it?"_ Madara growled, eyes scanning the trees below.

**"****I am not,"** the black ayakashi rumbled, **"but he is a child, still. I feel perhaps you cater to him too much."**

_"__If there's one thing that boy won't be,"_ the wolfish demon grumbled, flicking his tail irritably, _"it's spoiled. He gets scolded often for his reckless ways, and will likely face danger as he gets older. Can you blame us for wanting to protect him while we can?"_

**"****I cannot,"** Misuzu admitted. **"For I, also, have been carefully guarding the boy. He is strange, to bring about change in so many who, until now, had been standing still."**

_Because of Natsume, we all began walking forward. We began to see a future where before there was only a continuous present._ Madara circled the woods once more and then growled softly, _"I'm going to check the edge of the barriers. I know you dislike it, but…"_

**"****I will change,"** Misuzu agreed. **"And I will stay with Sir Natsume until you return."**

Madara nodded, and then soared off towards the next mountain, the tip of which was one of the anchors for the barrier of spiritual energy that obscured Natsume's presence from the world.

Misuzu landed in the glade and shook himself, trying to get used to the feeling of a more human shape. The dark, purplish hair that cascaded in an untamed bramble down his back was a nuisance, and human limbs were so fragile, it was pathetic. But Natsume's smile when he came into the house made the irritation bearable. He supposed that they were all going soft because of this kid.

The boy ran towards him, and Misuzu backed up instinctively, thinking that the human child was going to hug him, but Natsume skidded to a stop just before running into the tall ayakashi. He smiled innocently. "Misuzu, you're human again."

"He's in human _form_, Natsume. It's a little different," Tsubame explained from her seat on the couch.

"Oh." And he laughed.

Misuzu's eyes softened.

The spirits who guarded Natsume after locating his second form had discussed giving him a different name. After all, the name of _Natsume_ was linked deeply with both human and yokai memory, whether because of Takashi or his grandmother Reiko.

But Madara had refused. "His aura is unmistakable," he said. "If they're going to find him, they will. Don't make extra trouble. All we have to do is protect him."

And Natsume was laughing joyously every day, bringing light into the shadowed glade where they raised him. How could they let him be sullied by pain or fear? Misuzu shook his head at his complacent thoughts. The most powerful and feared of ayakashi were becoming, as the land spirits once foolishly termed them, almost like Natsume's pets. And the boy didn't even realize what effect he was having on them.

()()()

He was sitting in the garden, poking the coyfish in the pond with a stick, when he was called to his ailing father's side. The man's hair, once black as night, was now pure white. But his dark eyes were as piercing as ever.

A worn hand rose and cupped the boy's cheek, not out of kindness, but to make sure he was paying attention. _"Listen to me, Reichi,"_ he rasped. _"What I have been unable to accomplish, I now pass to you as my heir."_

The boy nodded, his untrimmed bangs falling over his eyes. There was no sorrow on his youthful face; death was an expected and natural part of life. When his father was gone, all of his responsibilities as the head of the family would fall to his son.

The old man growled softly, his gaze flickering with memories. _"You must succeed, Reichi. You will remove the stain upon our honor that he made by his very existence."_

"Yes, father."

As soon as he gave these words, the weathered hand fell to the covers and moved no more. The head of the clan had died. There was no wailing, no mourning. The deathbed attendants removed the seal from over the man's eye and transferred it to his child. From that day forward, half of his sight would be forever darkened, the badge and price of the family's leadership. The boy, hardly eleven years old, stood and looked down at his father's corpse. The gathered humans and yokai in the room gave a low murmur. _"Hail to Lord Reichi, leader of the clan of Matoba."_


	4. 4: Inescapable Fate

_4: __**In**__escapable Fate_

Natsume sat on the couch, playing Cat's Cradle with the Kitsune as Tsubame watched them, a small smile on her lips.

**"****Madara is late,"** Misuzu rumbled discontentedly from his seat across the living room.

Tsubame looked up and tilted her head slightly. "He'll be back soon," she said, calm and content, as she always was, always had been ever since Natsume returned. "Be patient." She spoke to the ancient bull-demon much as she spoke to the children.

Misuzu bristled slightly, but let it be. No one had ever been able to reason with Tsubame save for Natsume, and he was still too young to do anything except wheedle extra treats now and then.

As though summoned by their thoughts, Madara entered, in his human form once again. Natsume looked up immediately, a bright smile lighting his face as he abandoned his game to run over. The white demon smoothed his hair and smiled, showing a rare gentle expression before looking to Misuzu and saying simply, "Nothing."

**"****That does not mean there was never anything,"** Misuzu replied.

Madara nodded, looking down at Natsume, who smiled up with curiosity written across his face. It had been only two years, but already it seemed that danger was approaching, despite all their efforts to conceal this location.

Still, he supposed it was unavoidable. So many powerful demons coming and going at this place so frequently would draw attention, no matter how complete their barrier was. But so long as they were vigilant, it should be some time, still, before they would have to worry much more than this.

And by then, Natsume would have grown into his gifts.

()()()

**_Ten years later…_**

_"__Nura-onna, I return your name. Accept it." _As the wet-haired demon shimmered and then faded away, Natsume sighed tiredly, leaning back against Sensei's warm side. "I wish I could get used to that," he murmured. No matter how many times he returned a name, it always left him exhausted. Worse was when he gave multiple names at once, or in a short time.

Sensei had put his foot down soon after he started; informing the youth that he was not allowed to return more than three names in a day. This had occurred after Natsume fainted from an influx of yokai desiring their freedom from the Book of Friends.

Now, for not the first time, the golden-eyed human looked at the magnificent white demon and wondered why Madara was so protective of him. He remembered dimly the day they met, but since then, in every memory he held on to, in one form or another, Sensei was there.

_"__Natsume,"_ Sensei interrupted Natsume's thoughts. He blew on the youth's face, ruffling the soft hair. _"You should eat."_

"Yeah, give me a minute." Natsume closed his eyes, relaxing against the demon for a few minutes. "I'm tired."

Madara gave his humming growl that Natsume sometimes teased him was his 'purr.' _"Only a minute."_

Natsume chuckled softly, but said nothing in response. He soon found himself immersed in the scent of pine and wildflowers drifting through the window. Then another scent joined them, a faint touch of tobacco. "Hinoe," the human said without opening his eyes, "I've asked you not to smoke in the house."

The female demon, one of the few he knew, laughed. She sat on the windowsill, one leg dangling inside. The butterfly clip in her hair, which Natsume sometimes suspected was a real one, shifted as she shook her head in amusement. "It won't kill you, Natsume. Let me have my little pleasures."

The youth sighed, turned onto his side and opened his eyes. "Did you come with news today?" he asked. "Or just to visit?"

Red lips curved into a sultry smile. "To visit, of course." But as she glanced at Madara, it was apparent that she was not quite telling the truth. Of course, for Hinoe, that was not unusual.

()()()

Reichi lifted his arm, and the crow lighted upon it. _"Still nothing,"_ he muttered discontentedly, shaking dark hair out of his eyes. He had become used to having half his sight, and even imagined at times that his abilities were enhanced by having the cursed eye sealed.

He turned, heading down the mountain path and leaving the shattered shrine behind. The false god had been exterminated, and he had no more reason to stay in this place.

_Soon,_ he thought to himself. _I will find him._


	5. 5: Meeting You Again

_5: Meeting __**You**__ Again_

_"__Even though I've told you so many times not to go looking for trouble,"_ Madara growled as the panting youth leaned against his side, filthy and covered in fresh bruises and cuts.

Natsume gave a small smile in response. "You worry too much, Sensei," he answered, brushing soft, golden-brown hair from his eyes. "If you're like this now, what will you say once I'm old and feeble?" His tone was light and teasing, but it elicited another growl from the yokai he leaned against.

_"__Don't say foolish things, Natsume."_

The human gave a soft laugh and sat up. "I returned the name, so it's alright, isn't it?" Madara grumbled discontentedly but didn't protest further, so Natsume took that as a yes. He stood and stretched, wincing as he realized he'd be sore tomorrow. _Ah well._ He started wandering back towards the house, and Madara, after watching him for a moment, rose and shook himself.

_"__Grab on."_ Natsume obeyed with another laugh, this one of joy. Ever since he was young, he had enjoyed flying with Madara. The great white ayakashi had taken him many places, and shown him many amazing sights in recent years.

"Madara, you can't keep taking him out like this!" Hinoe protested when they returned.

"It's fine, Hinoe," Madara rumbled as he shifted back to his more human appearance upon landing, flicking white hair from his catlike yellow eyes. "The boy is safe with me. Keeping him ignorant is not as safe now as it was when he was younger. He needs to know about the world he lives in."

"He's a mess, you call that safe?"

Natsume smiled at the she-spirit. "I'm alright, Hinoe. I'll get washed up and put some cream on the bruises. They'll be gone by tomorrow."

The woman didn't seem convinced, but against that relaxed smile she had no defense. So Natsume went inside to wash, and nothing else was said of his outings.

()()()

Reichi sat in a tree. It wasn't a terribly unusual thing for him to be doing, though not necessarily one that the rest of the clan would approve of if they knew. He leaned against the broad trunk, one leg hanging down and swinging.

His father had often worn traditional clothing, particularly as he grew older, but Reichi preferred clothes that allowed ease of movement, and so wore black pants and a loose white shirt. He was waiting for his familiar to return.

When he heard the flutter of wings he lifted his head and raised one arm, and the elegant creature landed, wings folding against the dark grey of its supple body. He called her _Isis,_ but knew she likely had another name.

His father, Seichi, had given his son this first familiar when he was ten, and told him to train it. The man was most displeased when he found out that the creature had been named, but at that point it had become accustomed to being called that way and would answer to nothing else, so Isis she remained.

The familiar had a catlike body, though somewhat narrower and tapered than the average cat, with a fan of feathers at the end of her long tail, dappled like her wings. Her eyes were a piercingly brilliant green that made him think of paintings of the Nile river, thus the demon's name. _Master. I have found a barrier east of here._

"Lead me to it," Reichi answered.

()()()

He walked at an easy pace, enjoying being alone for once. He wasn't technically supposed to be, but Natsume was very good at slipping away when he needed his space. As much as he loved the many yokai who helped to keep him safe from the things he knew about and the things he didn't, sometimes it was hard to feel comfortable when his every move was watched.

.

Reaching the edge of the barrier, Reichi gave a slight growl of frustration. It was impossible to get in without the pass, likely some item that he, of course, did not possess.

.

Natsume knew he was close to the edge of the protective barrier that his guardian maintained, but since he had been out so often lately without any major mishaps, he didn't bother stopping, and walked on.

.

Reichi reached up to touch the barrier, but then hesitated, not wanting to set off whatever security was attached to the spell. The last thing he needed was whatever creature had set this, for whatever purpose, to come running. He didn't know what he was dealing with, so should proceed with caution.

.

He reached the edge of the barrier and stepped through.

.

He looked up, and his eyes widened.

.

They met.


	6. 6: The Man with One Eye

_6: The Man __**with**__ One Eye_

"So you live around here?" Reichi questioned as they perched on the smooth boulder just outside of the barrier. This person was a human, he could sense as much, so he didn't bother with an attack once he realized that fact. Besides, it was hard to attack someone who gave such a soft smile when they saw him.

_"__Well hello there."_

"That's right," Natsume answered, rolling onto his stomach and picking at the moss on the stone. "What about you? You're not from around here." He knew that, because the only ones who lived on this mountain were yokai, except for him.

He was excited though, as this was his first time talking to another human since before he could remember. The demons had noted how he was more open than he had been in his previous incarnation, more prone to laughter and less likely to try and fight alone. Hinoe had said in response that it was because he had been raised with love and care, rather than fear, like before.

"I came here to investigate," Reichi answered, stroking his familiar absentmindedly.

Natsume blinked, reaching out. "May I?" he asked, pausing. When the dark-haired male nodded, Natsume smiled a bit and lightly rubbed the creature's soft fur. "She's beautiful," he said in wonder.

"Thank you." Reichi observed the other curiously. "So… is there a town up here? Or a temple perhaps?"

Natsume hesitated a bit before answering, "A temple of sorts, yes." He hoped he would be forgiven for that small lie, not wanting to get his friends in trouble.

"Would I be able to visit it?" Reichi pressed with a disarming smile, but Natsume shook his head.

"I'm sorry they don't like visitors," he said firmly. No hesitation this time.

The exorcist frowned slightly, shaking his head with a sigh. His dark bangs parted at the movement, revealing the seal over his eye. Natsume's own eyes widened, and he sat up a bit. "What is that?" he asked, a bit disturbed by the strange symbols written over it.

"This?" His hand went up to it, and he traced the shape of his eye socket underneath the charmed paper. "It's a charm," he said after a moment. It wouldn't do for him to frighten off this source of information.

"For what?" Natsume asked curiously, shifting into a sitting position.

"Just a charm," Reichi answered evasively.

Natsume sat back, a bit disappointed, but willing to let it be. After all, he was keeping secrets too. He glanced up at the sun, which was a bit past the point of mid-day, and stood. "I should be heading back."

Reichi was loathe to let him go, but he kept his father's lessons in finesse in his mind. "Alright," he agreed, standing as well. "Will you come this way tomorrow?"

"Maybe," Natsume answered, a bit hesitant to promise, but he did want to talk more with this person, so he nodded. "I'll try. Until tomorrow then?"

Reichi smiled and returned the nod. "Tomorrow."

With that, he headed back down the mountain, and Natsume vanished back inside the barrier, all without them ever so much as exchanging their names.

If they had, things might have been very different.

()()()

"Did you have a good walk, Natsume?" Madara asked when the youth returned.

Natsume gave a sheepish smile, recognizing that disapproving tone. "I did," he answered, then winced a bit when he was rapped on the head. "Ow…"

"You little idiot! You know you're supposed to stay where we can keep an eye on you. Why do you always run off. And _you_ Tsubame!" The young spirit hiccupped her laughter into silence and smiled innocently. "Stop letting him do it."

"You worry too much, Sensei," Natsume sighed. "I thought we had gotten over this already. I can take a walk without getting hurt. See?" He displayed his arms, shaking soft brown hair out of his face. "Not a scratch."

The white ayakashi gave him a suspicious look, then sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Go eat," he said at last, jerking his chin at the kitchen.

Chuckling, Natsume obeyed. There was a slight bounce to his step for the rest of the day. He had made a friend, a human friend. Tomorrow, he would go speak with him again.

()()()

Reichi sat on the balcony of his room at the inn that night, looking out towards the mountain. Such a powerful barrier surrounded it, yet was undetectable until you were near. There was definitely something big there. It could be a sleeping god, if there was a temple, but it also might be a sealed demon. He wanted to know. Defeating something so huge would give his name more weight.

His name, not the name of Matoba, though that too would be inflated. He didn't care about the clan beyond what duties being its head gave to him. He wanted to be a great exorcist, greater than his father. Much, much greater, enough to destroy the curse on their bloodline, so that he could look at the world with two eyes instead of one.

This would be a good stepping stone for him. He had found the one who could get him inside that barrier by a seemingly fated coincidence.

He would see him again tomorrow.


	7. 7: Truth in a Name

_7: Truth in a __**Name**_

Natsume was unable to get away until afternoon, and he hurried down the path, skidding a bit on loose stones as he hoped that his new friend was waiting for him there. He smiled to see that he was. "I'm sorry I'm late," he apologized as he moved out of the barrier and came to sit beside him.

"It's fine, I haven't been here for long," Reichi answered. His familiar wasn't in sight today, he had her scoping out the boundaries of the barrier. "Busy day at the temple?"

Natsume felt a touch of guilt for lying to him, but nodded. "Yeah, I had a lot of chores."

"I see." Reichi observed the youth curiously as they chattered idly, his keen mind making note of every detail in his appearance and behavior. Those golden eyes, with their slightly irregular pupils; it was something he would usually take as a sign of being a demon in disguise, but he had never met one who could mask their aura totally, and he sensed only the scent of a human from this boy.

Though… there seemed to be something else as well. Some power. He frowned slightly and reached into his pocket, taking out a small paper doll, a basic shikigami. "Can you touch this for me?"

The young man seemed confused, but he nodded, reaching out to touch the thing. As soon as his fingertips brushed it it rustled, floating up to hover over Reichi's palm.

The exorcist was as startled as Natsume himself. "What is it?" Natsume asked in wonder.

"It's a shikigami- a familiar of sorts. Just a small one, used to track spiritual energy." Baffled, he dismissed the doll and returned it to his pocket. "You have power," a thought came to him. "Is that why you live here, in that temple of yours?"

Natsume was silent for a moment, not from shock so much as trying to think fast. Sensei and the other's would be furious if he let on that this was a yokai sanctuary, so after he regained his voice he answered, "Yes… I've lived here most of my life."

A touch of truth to soften the lie and his guilt. He didn't want to decieve his new friend, who seemed like a good person.

Reichi was convinced. It wasn't uncommon for those with strong spiritual energy to be raised by a temple or taken in by exorcist houses for their protection; a similar barrier to this, though not as extensive, was spread over the Matoba complex. It was disappointing, since he had hoped to have this be a productive outing for him, but he supposed it wasn't totally useless. He had met an interesting person.

"What's your name?" he asked him with a smile, offering his hand. "I'm Reichi, Matoba Reichi."

"Takashi," the youth answered in response, obediently following one of the rules his guardians had set down, one he hadn't expected to use, but Sensei had insisted on. He was never to share the name Natsume with outsiders.

Naturally he had asked why, and the answer had been a firm, simple, _Because I told you not to._

"Takashi." He didn't think anything of it. It was a common name. "I'm glad to have met you. I'll have to come visit again and see how you're doing."

"You're leaving?" The disappointment was clear on his soft face, and the exorcist chuckled.

"Can't be helped, I have work to do. But I'll visit, I promise. Until then."

Natsume nodded and returned his smile. "Until then."


End file.
